"Moreover," noted Washburne, "these figures do not tell the whole story,
particularly in manufacturing. Union manufacturing losses are being masked
by increased union membership in traditionally nonunion sectors like child
care, where 40,000 workers were jointly organized in November by the UAW and
a government employees union. This offsetting increase might bode well for
union leaders, but it does not look good for Michigan’s unionized
manufacturing workers."

Federal employment data released earlier this week show that in 2006,
Michigan lost 39,400 jobs in manufacturing, a historically unionized sector,
and was the only state in the nation to post a net loss in nonfarm payroll
employment. "This job decline," said Washburne, "has occurred even before
the full effect of the automotive industry’s employee buyouts is felt."

Washburne concluded: "Michigan must change its labor climate to reverse this
trend. Seven of the eight states that experienced nonfarm employment growth
of 3 percent or better in 2006 were states with right-to-work laws that
prohibit forced union dues or fees. This advantage is consistent with
Mackinac Center research showing that from 1970 to 2000, manufacturing
employment grew by 1.43 million jobs in right-to-work states, but declined
by 2.18 million in non-right-to-work
states."